Signal exhibitor



J. A. SHEPHERD ET AL SIGNAL EX'JIIBITQR Filed Jan. 16. 1922 June 4, 1929.

' dent to tra-flic of automobiles and other vev Patented `lune 4, 1929.

UNITED sr JosErH SHEPHERD ANnwIIQLIAM L. .ToHNs'roIt or DHTIwIT, MICHIGAH.

SIGNAL EXHIBITOR.

Application filed January 16, 1922. Serial No. 529,550.

invention relates to a signal exhibitor, and has special reference to that class of exhibitors which are illuminated and adapted or displaying a plurality of signs to indicate direction of travel and conditions incihicles.

Our invention aims to provide a simple, durable andv inexpensive signal exhibitor which is particularly characterized by a novel compartment member aording a plurality of separate reiiectors or compartments for incandescent lamps, and a transparent or translucent plate closing the compartments of said compartment member whichpermits the incandescent lamps to illuminate signs carried by the transparent plate. By using a suitable switch in connection with the exhibitor the incandescent lamps may be controlled for the display ot different signs, and we employ novel means 'for supporting the incandescent lamps and the compartment member .relative to an exhibitor casing.

The construction entering into our invention will be hereinafter described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the signal exhibitor;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the signal exhibitor;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a compartment member, and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View of another Ytorni of compartment member.

rThe signal exhibitor comprises a cylindrical casing having a rear wall 2 and a front open end through which access is had to the interior of the casing. The cylinder wall of the casing has its front edges flared, as at 3, and clamped on the flared edge of the casing is a channel retaining member 4t in the form of a split ring which has its ends provided with apertured lugs 5 adapted to be connected by a screw bolt 6 and nut 7 or other fastening means permitting of the retaining member being contracted about the 'flared edges 3 of the exhibitor casing 1. The channel shape of the retaining member 4 permits of said member holding a transparent or translucent sign plate 8 and this plate may be painted, stenciled or otherwise treated to afford a plurality of signs in superposed relat1on,\as shown in Fig. 1.1 For instance, the

signs may be Left, Right, Stop and the characters of such words may be cut from an `opaque piece of material 9 placed against the inner wall of the signplate 8. i.

Mounted between the peripheral edges of the'slgn plate 8 and the flared edges 3 of the casing 1 arethe edges of a compartment member 10, which is in the form of ametallic disk having a plurality of transversely disposed parallel pressed, out portions affording .ob-

lone' compartments 12,V and as shown in Fig. 2iv

these compartments may be three in number to correspond to the number of signs shown in Fig. 1, while in Fig. 4 the compartment member 10 has been shown as having four compartments. The compartments vary in length due to the circular shape of the compartment members and each compartment has converging walls 12 extending inwardly trom the base of the compartment member to a 'rear wall 13 of each compartment, and these converging wallsare linished so as to provide delectors by which raysl of light may be refiected towards the sign plate 8.

As shown in Fig. 2 the compartment membermay have transverse grooves or indentationsV 30 between compartments thereof and cushion members 31 may be mounted in the grooves to cushion the transparent plate 8.

Connected to the rear face of the compartment member 10, by screws 14 and nuts 15 or other fastening means are the ends of a channel shaped bracket or strap 16 to which are secured a plurality of socket members 17 adaptedfor detachably holding incandescent lamp sockets 18 having lamps 19. The lamp sockets 18 have leading-out wires 2O that extend through an insulator 21 carried by the cylindrical. wall casing 1, and said leading out wires are adapted to extend to a suitable source of electrical energy and to one or more switches (not shown). The socket holders 17 are attached to the bracket 16 by screws 22 and nuts 23 or other fastening means, and the rear wall 13 has a large opening 25, permitting of the lamp socket being inserted and detachably mounted in the holder 17.

As indicating a suitable support for the signal exhibitor casing, we show a bracket' 26 and detachably connected to said bracket are the apertured lugs 27 of the exhibitor casing, said lugs being carried by a plate 28 suitably connected to a wall of the casing.

`As shown in Fig. 5, al compartment mem-v that the signs of the exhibitorv may be inde'- pendently illuminated by incandescent lamps within-the compartments of the member.

Oneembodi'ment of our invention has' been illustrated, but` it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to' such l variations and modifications as fall within the scope of theappended claim.

What we claim is y As a new article of manufacture, a disk shaped compartment. member for a signal eX- hibitor,A said compartment member being made of a single piece of material forming a yfront Wall pressed to provide a plurality of rearwardly extending parallel transversely disposed compartments and transverse cushion holding grooves between said compartments, said compartments having snbstantially flattop and bottom walls and converging end walls', said compartments" being lthree in number with two of said compartments equal in vlength and of less length than the remaining compartment, said remaining compartment being disposed betweenl the first mentioned compartments, and all of said compartments having the walls there'o finislied to afford reflectors in combination with a Vtranslucent sign plate with characters de'- picted thereon, and means for supporting said plate adjacent said compartment meniber in such a manner as to bring said characters opposite said. compat'tmentsV n lIn testimony whereof we aix our sign-aV- tures. Y y

' JOSEPH AL.l SHEPHERD'. WILLIAM L.. JHNSTON. 

